2019 Texas Statutes
Property Code
Title 9 - Trusts
Subtitle B - Texas Trust Code: Creation, Operation, and Termination of Trusts
Chapter 112 - Creation, Validity, Modification, and Termination of Trusts
Subchapter C. Revocation, Modification, and Termination of Trusts
Section 112.054. Judicial Modification, Reformation, or Termination of Trusts
Sec. 112.054. JUDICIAL MODIFICATION, REFORMATION, OR TERMINATION OF TRUSTS. (a) On the petition of a trustee or a beneficiary, a court may order that the trustee be changed, that the terms of the trust be modified, that the trustee be directed or permitted to do acts that are not authorized or that are forbidden by the terms of the trust, that the trustee be prohibited from performing acts required by the terms of the trust, or that the trust be terminated in whole or in part, if:
(1) the purposes of the trust have been fulfilled or have become illegal or impossible to fulfill;
(2) because of circumstances not known to or anticipated by the settlor, the order will further the purposes of the trust;
(3) modification of administrative, nondispositive terms of the trust is necessary or appropriate to prevent waste or impairment of the trust's administration;
(4) the order is necessary or appropriate to achieve the settlor's tax objectives or to qualify a distributee for governmental benefits and is not contrary to the settlor's intentions; or
(5) subject to Subsection (d):
(A) continuance of the trust is not necessary to achieve any material purpose of the trust; or
(B) the order is not inconsistent with a material purpose of the trust.
(b) The court shall exercise its discretion to order a modification or termination under Subsection (a) or reformation under Subsection (b-1) in the manner that conforms as nearly as possible to the probable intention of the settlor. The court shall consider spendthrift provisions as a factor in making its decision whether to modify, terminate, or reform, but the court is not precluded from exercising its discretion to modify, terminate, or reform solely because the trust is a spendthrift trust.
(b-1) On the petition of a trustee or a beneficiary, a court may order that the terms of the trust be reformed if:
(1) reformation of administrative, nondispositive terms of the trust is necessary or appropriate to prevent waste or impairment of the trust's administration;
(2) reformation is necessary or appropriate to achieve the settlor's tax objectives or to qualify a distributee for governmental benefits and is not contrary to the settlor's intentions; or
(3) reformation is necessary to correct a scrivener's error in the governing document, even if unambiguous, to conform the terms to the settlor's intent.
(c) The court may direct that an order described by Subsection (a)(4) has retroactive effect. The reformation of a trust under an order described by Subsection (b-1) is effective as of the creation of the trust.
(d) The court may not take the action permitted by Subsection (a)(5) unless all beneficiaries of the trust have consented to the order or are deemed to have consented to the order. A minor, incapacitated, unborn, or unascertained beneficiary is deemed to have consented if a person representing the beneficiary's interest under Section 115.013(c) has consented or if a guardian ad litem appointed to represent the beneficiary's interest under Section 115.014 consents on the beneficiary's behalf.
(e) An order described by Subsection (b-1)(3) may be issued only if the settlor's intent is established by clear and convincing evidence.
(f) Subsection (b-1) is not intended to state the exclusive basis for reformation of trusts, and the bases for reformation of trusts in equity or common law are not affected by this section.
Added by Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p. 3332, ch. 567, art. 2, Sec. 2, eff. Jan. 1, 1984. Amended by Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 149, Sec. 1, eff. May 24, 1985.
Amended by:
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 148 (H.B. 1190), Sec. 7, eff. January 1, 2006.
Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 62 (S.B. 617), Sec. 4, eff. September 1, 2017.
Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 62 (S.B. 617), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2017.
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1112 (H.B. 2245), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2019.
Sec. 112.055. AMENDMENT OF CHARITABLE TRUSTS BY OPERATION OF LAW. (a) Except as provided by Section 112.056 and Subsection (b) of this section, the governing instrument of a trust that is a private foundation under Section 509, Internal Revenue Code, as amended, a nonexempt charitable trust that is treated as a private foundation under Section 4947(a)(1), Internal Revenue Code, as amended, or, to the extent that Section 508(e), Internal Revenue Code, is applicable to it, a nonexempt split-interest trust under Section 4947(a)(2), Internal Revenue Code, as amended, is considered to contain provisions stating that the trust:
(1) shall make distributions at times and in a manner as not to subject the trust to tax under Section 4942, Internal Revenue Code;
(2) may not engage in an act of self-dealing that would be subject to tax under Section 4941, Internal Revenue Code;
(3) may not retain excess business holdings that would subject it to tax under Section 4943, Internal Revenue Code;
(4) may not make an investment that would subject it to tax under Section 4944, Internal Revenue Code; and
(5) may not make a taxable expenditure that would subject it to tax under Section 4945, Internal Revenue Code.
(b) If a trust was created before January 1, 1970, this section applies to it only for its taxable years that begin on or after January 1, 1972.
(c) This section applies regardless of any provision in a trust's governing instrument and regardless of any other law of this state, including the provisions of this title.
Added by Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p. 3332, ch. 567, art. 2, Sec. 2, eff. Jan. 1, 1984.
